Ruffling mechanism for sewing machines



July 6, 1937. .F. A. KUCERA 2,086,038

RUFFLING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Jan. 18, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet l x 8 3 k 0% $13 a} Q Q w N I a: @E & I I W Q Q 1 r y 5 g I W p Ra L} F? WITNESSES: I INVENTDR:

F k BY Fran fi Zfzwarq TTORNEYS.

July 6, 1937,

F. A. KUCERA RUFFLING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Jan. 18, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 mil INVENTOR: Frank 27. Hum/rm, BY i ATTQRNEYS.

July 6, 1937. F. A. KUCERA RUFFLING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES v 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR: Frank fl Imam a,

7 Filed Jan. 18, 1935 Patented July 6, 1937 r RUFFLING MECHANISM FOR MACHINES Frank A. Kucera, Chicago,;Ill., assignor to Union Special Machine Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application January 18, 1935, Serial No. 2,345

7 Claims. (01. 112 132) SEWING far as possible within the housing or frame of These folders I3 and 14 are convergent toward 5 the machine, and which is capable of regulation the needle 5, and interposed between them is a from the exterior so that tucks or rufiles of 'difseparator plate l5 which terminates at thepresser ferent sizes can be made. foot -8, see Fig. II. 'I'he'lower folder I3, it will be h It is a further aim of my invention to render observed, is supported by a bracket I6 secured to g 10 the adjustment of such mechanism easy and thebase l of the machine; while the upper folder 10 quick of accomplishment, and to permit repeated and the separator plate I 5 are supported bya re-settings of the mechanism to bemade with bracket member I! secured to the head 3 of the predetermination of fabric tucks of 1 different overhanging arm 2 of'the machine. 7 sizes. -The rufiling mechanism with which the present Another object of my invention is to provide invention is more particularly concernedcom- 15 means whereby the mechanism may be adjusted prises a shaft l8, which, as shown'in Fig. I, exfor operation upon fabrics of different degrees of tends horizontally along one sideof the gooseneck stifiness. r 7 v 2 of the machine, and which has journal support Still other objects and attendant advantages of in spaced bearings is rigidly secured to said this invention will be manifest from the detailed gooseneck by means of screws 20 by which perfect 20 description which follows. 1 alignment is obtained. Afiixed to the front end Fig. I of the drawings shows, in side elevation, of the rock shaft [8 is a pendant arm 2| whereto a sewing machine fitted with a. willing mechais pivotally attached at the swinging end, a memnism conveniently embodying the present imber 22carrying a rufiler blade 23. The member 25 provements,aportion of the machine frame being 22 issubject to. a tension spring 25, which, at 25 broken out and in section to expose important the top, engages an anchorage lug 26 clamped, interior details. by means of a screw 21, to the arm 2|. From Fig. II is a front elevation of the machine. Fig. 11 it will be seen that the spring 25 serves to Fig. III is a fragmentary detail sectional View. hold the front edge of the miller blade 23 yield- 30 taken as indicated by the arrows III-III in Fig. ingly in contact with the separator plate I5 here- 30 I and drawn to a larger scale. inbefore referred to. The pressure of the ruffler Fig. IV is aview corresponding to Fig. III with blade 23 toward the plate I5 can be varied by the parts m iff position f j m n regulating'the tension of the spring 25 through and I I pivotal adjustment of the anchorage lug 26 about Fig. V is a detail sectional view taken as indi 1 its securing screw 21. 35

cated by the arrows V.-V in Fig. IV. Rocking movement is imparted to the shaft l8 The machine herein illustrated cbmpiises a through means which includes an eccentric 28 on hollow base or work table I with a standard'and th main shaft 6 of the machine. The'rod 29 of n v in o neck w at its fr this eccentric 28 extends. upward within the hol- 40 terminates in a head 3 P ng guidance low of the vertical portion 2a'of thegooseneck 2, 40 for a Ve t y reciprocating bar 4 for the Sew-3 and is pivotally connectedat its upper end to one ing needle 5. Throughsuitable connections, notv end f an amuate-arm 3|, A h w i Figs, illustrated, the bar 4 is actuated fromthe rnain IIIV, the a 3| is of dovetail cross, shaft of the machme Whlch, 1s idlcated at g i sectional configurationfand has its center of i' H and Also gmded m the P 3 curvature in the axis of the eccentric 28 when said 45 z' g zg g $25 3 ggigfig g gti f g arm is at the end of its upward swing with the sgi fng ot shown) by which the p ressei' foot is rumer blade mits f advanced posttiort a yieldingly held in engagement with the top of the needle 5 of f Shown: m 5 7 Work table I of the machine. III--V, the arcuate-arm 3| 1s slldably engaged in 50 This invention relates to rufiling mechanisms for sewing machines; and provides a simple and reliable mechanism of the kind referred to, of which the parts are concealed and protected as Asillustrated, the presser foot B-has an'independently movable component 9 which-is pivoted at l0 and yieldingly urged downward toward the work table by a light spring H,.the outer end of said component being upwardly inclined asatl2.

Incident to the operation of the machine two strips of fabric are fed in superimposition to the needle 5,a ground strip through a folder l3, and a strip which is to be ruflied through a folder Hi.

the correspondingly configured slot 32a of a head 32 secured to the rear end of. the rock shaft l8, said slot extending crosswise. of the axis of said shaft. An axially hollow clamp-sleeve 33 loose on a, screw stud projecting laterally from the head 32, has a beveled surface 33a to engage the lower bevel of the arm 3|. By means of a winged nut 35 engaging threads on the outer end of the stud 34, the sleeve 33 is forced inwardly and thereby operates as a wedge to securely clamp the arcuate arm 3| in the head 32. Upon loosening the wing nut 35, the arcuate arm 3| may be set in different positions in the slot 320. of the head 32 for the purposes of varying the extent of the movement imparted to the ruifler blade 23. In order to facilitate such adjustments, the arcuate arm 3| is provided with graduations 36 for selective registry with an arrow mark 31 on the head 32. A pair of spaced, laterally projecting pins 38 and 39 on the arcuate arm 3| serve, by cooperation with the head 32, to limit the extent to which said arm can be shifted with respect to said head. The outer end of the arcuate arm 3| is gouged at 40 for ease of grasping it in making the adjustments. As shown in Figs. III and IV, the arcuate arm 3| projects outward from the point of its attachment to the eccentric rod 29 within the machine housing through a vertical slot 4| in the side of the post 2a. The-eccentric and its rod are thus concealed and protected with provision however forregulation of the rock shaft movement at the exterior.

The operation of the rufiling mechanism is as follows:

The two fabric strips concurrently delivered through the folders l3 and M are intermittently advanced by the action of the feed dog (not illustrated) of the machine beneath the seaming needle 5, said strips being maintained in separation by the separator plate l5 until they reach a point immediately in advance of the needle. By the action of the ruifler blade which is constantlyreciprocate-d by the swinging movement of the arm 2| on the rock shaft I8, the upper fabric strip is tucked. and caught beneath the presser foot 8, the ruffling blade bringing the fabric fold each time slightly beyond the needle. By adjusting the anchorage lug 26 the tension of the spring 25 may be set so as to insure proper action of the rufller blade for fabrics of different degrees of stiffness. When a change in the size of the tucks in the upper fabric strip is desired, the thumb nut 35 is loosened and the arcuate arm shifted in relation to the head 32 on the rock shaft l8 with the aid of the graduationson said arm. Irrespective of the setting of the arcuatearm 3l, the end of the miller blade will always be advanced to the same tucking position with respect to the needle 5 by virtue of the specific curvature of said arm predetermined as hereinbefore explained, the adjustments being effective only to vary the outward limit of movement of the blade with corresponding increases in the size of the tucks.

An important advantage obtained by the mechanism thus shown and described is that the eccentric by'which it is operated and a part of the arcuate arm are housed in the standard of the machine, so that only enoughprojects to enable the arcuate arm to be set so that the stroke of the eccentric, which is constant occasions a variable reciprocation of the ruflier blade, the variation however being such that the retreat ofthe blade is increased or decreased in respect to a substantially fixed forward position of the latter. Thus, notwithstanding changes in the size of the tucks, their forward folds are always brought to the same position with relation to the needle 5 of the sewing machine.

The graduation of the arcuate arm andits visibility and accessibility are. important, enabling the operator to instantly and readily set the device for any predetermined depth of ruffle which may be desired.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In ruffling mechanism for sewing machines, a reciprocating ruflling blade, means for reciprocating the blade including a rock shaft borne upon the side of the gooseneck of the machine, a head on the rock shaft in which an'arcuate slot extends crosswise of the axis of said shaft, an arcuate arm slidingly received in said slot and having graduations for coordination with a marker on the head to facilitate setting of the mechanism for determining formation of ruflles of different sizes by the milling blade, means for setting the arcuate arm in position in the slot, an eccentric, andan associated strap rod pivotally connected to the end of said arm.

2. In a sewing machine having a hollow base and an internally-communicating hollow standard and gooseneck, a needle bar supported for reciprocationin a head at the end of the gooseneck and a ruffling mechanism including a rock shaft extending horizontally along one side of gooseneck; and rufiiing mechanism including a rock shaft extending horizontally along one side of the gooseneck, an arm with a ruffling blade secured to said shaft, an actuating eccentric with a rod concealed within the hollow of the standard, an arcuate arm to which the end of the eccentric rod is pivotally connected, said arcuate arm reaching outward through an opening in the side of the standard, a head on the rock shaft in which the arcuate arm isslidingly engaged, and means accessible at the exterior of the standard whereby the arcuate arm may be secured in adjusted positions relative to the head.

4. In rulfling mechanism for sewing machines,

a reciprocating rufliing blade; and means for reciprocating the blade including a rock shaft borne upon the side of the gooseneck of the machine, a head on the rock shaft in which an arcuate slot extends crosswise of the. axis of said shaft, an

arcuate arm slidingly engaged in said slot,,means for setting the arcuate arm in position in. the slot, an eccentric housed within the frame of the machine, and a strap rod pivoted to the end of the arm, said arm extending through an aperture in the machine frame into engagement with the arcuate slot of the head aforesaid.

5. In rufiling mechanism for sewing machines, a reciprocating ruffling blade; and means for reciprocating the blade including a rotating shaft, an actuating eccentric on said rotating shaft, a strap rod for the eccentric, a rock shaft, an arcuate arm on the rock shaft to which the eccentric strap rod is pivotally connected, said arm having its center of curvature coincident with that of the eccentric when the latter occupies a predetermined position ing-its rotation; and means whereby the pivotal connection of the eccentric rod can be adjusted toward and away from the axis of the rock shaft to vary the stroke of the ruffling blade.

6. In ruflling mechanism for sewing machines, a reciprocating ruilling blade; and means for reciprocating the blade including a rotating shaft, an actuating eccentric on said rotating shaft, a

strap rod associated with the eccentric, a rock shaft, an arcuate arm on the rock shaft to which the eccentric strap rod is pivotally connected, said arm having its center of curvature coincident with that of the eccentric when the ruflling blade is in its fully advanced position relative to the needle of the sewing machine, and means whereby the pivotal connection of the eccentric rod can be adjusted toward or away from the axis of the rock shaft to vary the stroke of the ruflling blade.

7. In rufiling mechanism for sewing machines, areciprocating rufiling blade; and means for reciprocating the blade including a rotating shaft, an eccentric on said rotating shaft, a strap rod associated with the eccentric, a rock shaft, an arcuate arm slidably engaging a correspondingly configured slot in a head on said rock shaft, said arm having its center of curvature coincident with that of the eccentric when the latter occupies a predetermined position in its rotation, and having a pivotal connection with the eccentric strap rod, and means whereby the arcuate arm may be secured in adjusted positions in the arcuate s'lot of the head aforesaid to vary the throw of the rufilingblade.

FRANK A. KUCERA. 

